Will Washington Spring Forward This Year?

A few years ago, I thought Washington had passed some legislation that would stop time changes in Washington. Falling back was never bad - but springing forward puts a huge strain on the body.

Getting an hour earlier for work, school, or the gym hurts.

Didn't Olympia Already Pass a Bill to Stay in Daylight Savings Time?

Back in 2019, the Washington Senate passed a bill - for Washington to stay in daylight-saving time, permanently. Any state wishing to stay in daylight savings time needs approval from Congress. Under federal law, US states are not allowed to stay on daylight savings time.

States like Arizona and Hawaii can choose to stay in standard time year-round. Doing so does not need the approval of lawmakers in Washington DC.

Federal Lawmakers Stalled

Almost two years ago, in March of 2022 - the US Senate passed the Sunshine Protection Act of 2021, which would have accomplished the Washington Legislature’s original goal of permanent daylight savings time, starting on Nov. 5, 2023, had the House and the President approved it. This has not happened; the bill has stalled in the House since March 2022.  It seems there have been bigger fish to fry in the House.

 A New Bill in Olympia Might Get Traction

The switch to a stay in daylight savings time seems to have died. However, a new bill in Olympia has been making progress. If approved, Washington would make the permanent change to stay in Pacific Standard Time.

The bill, authored by Sen. Mike Padden (R-Spokane Valley) and co-sponsored by 13 other Washington state senators - is trying to stop the twice-a-year time switch. They cite:

“halting negative impacts on public health. Diminishing traffic accidents and crime, allowing for uniform agriculture scheduling, and promoting economic growth." - Sen. Mike Padden

Oregon is also planning a similar push for a permanent stay in Pacific Standard Time.

Should the lawmakers in Olympia pass the switch to standard time - the law would go into effect when daylight savings ends on Nov. 4th of this year.

So to answer the original question:

Will Washington spring forward for daylight saving time in 2024?

Yes, and possibly for one last time - on March 10th, 2024.

INFO: KING 5 News